Egypt denies alleged organ theft after British tourist's death

Cairo - Egyptian authorities denied reports of alleged organ theft after the body of a British tourist who died suddenly while on holiday was returned home without some organs.

David Humphries, 62, died in the seaside resort of Hurghada on the shores of the Red Sea on September 18.

His body was returned to the UK where a second post-mortem ordered by a coroner discovered that his heart and some other organs had been removed, a British media outlet said in a report.

Accusing the UK media of publishing "flawed reports", the Egyptian state information service (SIS) said allegations of "organ theft are unfounded".

It said the kidneys were removed in a "medical manner" for toxicology tests as was the heart to test to see whether or not he had suffered a cardiac arrest.

SIS said all formalities were conducted in "a procedurally sound matter, geared towards the use of familiar scientific methods to ascertain the cause of death with complete certainty".

It said the Public Prosecutor's Office was entitled by law to issue an autopsy order should it wish to determine the cause of death.

SIS said "all the requisite sampling and necessary medical procedures" could be carried out "without consulting with or seeking the consent of the family of the deceased".

"It is an established and customary procedure in scientific references and different schools of forensic science around the globe," it said.

The statement said that samples were taken and the heart, parts of the liver, kidneys and other organs had been removed in order to establish the cause of death. It did not give an explanation as to why they had not been replaced.

The service said the tourist had probably died of a heart attack, citing the medical report.

It also quoted his daughter Anita Goodall as saying that she did "not accuse anyone of having a hand in the death of her father".

Mr Humphries, who was a mechanic from Milton Keynes, had been on holiday at a beachside resort with his wife Lynda, 59, their daughter Anita Goodall and her family since 7 September.

He saw a doctor about chest pains on 13 September and the next day went to hospital and was admitted overnight.

On 18 September he had been playing with his grandchildren in a swimming pool when he collapsed. He was taken to hospital and died.

In another case in Hurghada on August 21, travel operator Thomas Cook moved all its clients to another hotel after a British couple died in what their daughter called "suspicious" circumstances.

Egyptian authorities say John and Susan Cooper, who fell ill and died suddenly while staying at the five-star Steigenberger Aqua Magic Hotel in the resort, succumbed to the effects of an E. coli infection.

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